--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There were people asking 'Can women be…" description: "\"There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'\" — Julie Walters" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/julie-walters-10631_asking_there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-fu_8007.jpg" --- # There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People… ![“There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'” quote by Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/julie-walters-10631_asking_there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-fu_8007.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/julie-walters-10631_asking_there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-fu_8007.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4f0/julie-walters-10631_asking_there-were-people-asking-can-women-be-fu_8007.jpg) > “There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that. It's like asking: 'Can women breathe in and out?'” [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Challenges the stereotype that humor is gendered by equating the question with an absurd, biologically obvious fact. **In simple terms:** Humor isn’t gender‑specific. Key Takeaway Stereotypes limit perception of women’s abilities. Themes gender bias humor stereotype challenge equality social norms Mood defiant ironic assertive Type satirical observational social commentary When to use this quote - media criticism - stand‑up comedy - advertising - education - social media debates Key Concepts gender roles comedic expression cultural expectations Practical Applications - Develop inclusive comedy workshops - Create campaigns that normalize women’s humor Questions to Reflect On - How does language reinforce gender stereotypes? - What impact does representation have on aspiring female comedians? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) [Asking Women](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking-women-336131/) [Asks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asks/) [Breathe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breathe/) [Comedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/comedy/) [Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny/) [Funny people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/funny-people/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Ask](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-ask/) [People Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-asking/) [Stills](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stills/) [Women Funny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/women-funny/) ## Related quotes > [Oh all the time when Victoria Wood and I did our series. There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' People still ask that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/oh-all-the-time-when-victoria-wood-and-i-did-our-series-there-were/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Society is really coming to a point where they're not asking if women can be funny anymore. We all know they obviously are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-lapkus/society-is-really-coming-to-a-point-where-they-re-not-asking-if-women/) [Lauren Lapkus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-lapkus/) > [When I first started doing press interviews, the big question was, 'Do you think women are funny?' People would ask you that in an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-walsh/when-i-first-started-doing-press-interviews-the-big-question-was-do/) [Matt Walsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-walsh/) > [They're asking women to do impossible things. I don't believe women can carry a pack, live in a foxhole, or go a week without…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-westmoreland/they-re-asking-women-to-do-impossible-things-i-don-t-believe-women/) [William Westmoreland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-westmoreland/) > [Every time I sit down with a powerful working mom, I wrestle with whether to ask the 'mom question.' I don't want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-chang/every-time-i-sit-down-with-a-powerful-working-mom-i-wrestle-with/) [Emily Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-chang/) > [I have had lots of men on my team and I have had lots of women on my team, and men are asking constantly.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-maybank/i-have-had-lots-of-men-on-my-team-and-i-have-had-lots-of-women-on-my/) [Alexis Maybank](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-maybank/) > [“Let me in.' 'Come to the door.' You always demanding like that? No wonder she isn't answering. Try asking sometime. Not all women will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/let-me-in-come-to-the-door-you-always-demanding-like-that-no-wonder/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [I don't mind talking about my family and how to balance it all. But, in today's world, we should probably be asking both women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelli-o-hara/i-don-t-mind-talking-about-my-family-and-how-to-balance-it-all-but-in/) [Kelli O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelli-o-hara/) > [Try asking sometime. Not all women will stand for that 50 Shades crap, you know.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jill-shalvis/try-asking-sometime-not-all-women-will-stand-for-that-50-shades-crap/) [Jill Shalvis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jill-shalvis/) > [“but was this funny? was this funny? was this funny? why was this funny? why was Sugar Kane funny? why were men dressed as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joyce-carol-oates/but-was-this-funny-was-this-funny-was-this-funny-why-was-this-funny/) [Joyce Carol Oates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joyce-carol-oates/) > [I think most Black women are funny. Whether we get credit or not, we just are; we're hilarious.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janelle-james/i-think-most-black-women-are-funny-whether-we-get-credit-or-not-we/) [Janelle James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janelle-james/) > [Intellectually, I think everyone really knows that women are funny, but it's a weird thing that people keep trotting out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bonnie-mcfarlane/intellectually-i-think-everyone-really-knows-that-women-are-funny-but/) [Bonnie McFarlane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bonnie-mcfarlane/) > [When you're a woman, you have to work harder to get a laugh... I follow so many hilarious women on Twitter. It's a daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rainbow-rowell/when-you-re-a-woman-you-have-to-work-harder-to-get-a-laugh-i-follow/) [Rainbow Rowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rainbow-rowell/) > [It’s crazy. Since there have been men and women, there have been funny women... f\*\*king idiot-ass men keep saying that women aren't funny. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-samberg/it-s-crazy-since-there-have-been-men-and-women-there-have-been-funny/) [Andy Samberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-samberg/) > [Women have been funny for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-behrs/women-have-been-funny-for-years/) [Beth Behrs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-behrs/) ## More by Julie Walters > [Sixty felt like a big landmark. Not in a dreadful sense, but none of the other birthdays have bothered me. It's got labels on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/sixty-felt-like-a-big-landmark-not-in-a-dreadful-sense-but-none-of/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I can understand why people get annoyed at being remembered for one thing, but a lot of actors aren't remembered for anything. I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-can-understand-why-people-get-annoyed-at-being-remembered-for-one/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I've never done so much bloody crying in my life. I was always moaning about how hard it was when we were shooting, how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-ve-never-done-so-much-bloody-crying-in-my-life-i-was-always-moaning/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Everyone comes up to me saying, 'Cooee, Julie! Hello!' as if I know them. Of course I don't bloody know them. Am I flummoxed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/everyone-comes-up-to-me-saying-cooee-julie-hello-as-if-i-know-them-of/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [It seems that when you get to a certain age you almost give yourself permission to misbehave and say what you think. People allow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/it-seems-that-when-you-get-to-a-certain-age-you-almost-give-yourself/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [It's getting better but men still earn more and there are more jobs for them. Ageism is a big thing. Parts for women disappear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/it-s-getting-better-but-men-still-earn-more-and-there-are-more-jobs/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [You can't help but feel a little bit like a mother to the younger cast members.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/you-can-t-help-but-feel-a-little-bit-like-a-mother-to-the-younger/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I can talk myself so much into my part.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-can-talk-myself-so-much-into-my-part/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I'd love to be in another film, but they haven't asked me. I think it's a shame but the prospects of me doing another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-d-love-to-be-in-another-film-but-they-haven-t-asked-me-i-think-it-s/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [There were all us baby boomers who had a grammar school education, started to learn, then went on the pill, the whole thing, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/there-were-all-us-baby-boomers-who-had-a-grammar-school-education/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Some people have a terrible stretch between family and work. It is a difficult thing to achieve.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/some-people-have-a-terrible-stretch-between-family-and-work-it-is-a/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I couldn't watch Tom and Jerry. The cruelty was too much. I had all these strange images, of tiny animals, all mixed up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-couldn-t-watch-tom-and-jerry-the-cruelty-was-too-much-i-had-all/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [Stage is the most exciting. Film is lovely, because it's like a family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/stage-is-the-most-exciting-film-is-lovely-because-it-s-like-a-family/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [I don't like being out of the crowd. It's lonely within a group.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/i-don-t-like-being-out-of-the-crowd-it-s-lonely-within-a-group/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) > [It's getting better generally, daily, especially in TV, for women in acting and age and looks count less. As more women come into the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-walters/it-s-getting-better-generally-daily-especially-in-tv-for-women-in/) [Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) [Explore all 64 Julie Walters quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-walters/) ## More Asking quotes > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [And in your new lives you'll have to live entirely for that one sensation-that of imminent truth. And you're going to have to holler…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-coupland/and-in-your-new-lives-you-ll-have-to-live-entirely-for-that-one/) [Douglas Coupland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-coupland/) > [“Stop asking yourself how or why and tell yourself you can." - Charmainism”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charmaine-smith-ladd/stop-asking-yourself-how-or-why-and-tell-yourself-you-can-charmainism/) [Charmaine Smith Ladd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charmaine-smith-ladd/) > [Closing his eyes, he sent up a prayer to anyone who was listening, asking please, for God's sake, stop sending him signals that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-ward/closing-his-eyes-he-sent-up-a-prayer-to-anyone-who-was-listening/) [J.R. Ward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-ward/) > [People will identify with a persecuted minority without asking themselves what they are identifying with.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilary-mantel/people-will-identify-with-a-persecuted-minority-without-asking/) [Hilary Mantel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilary-mantel/) > [If you're having a bad day already and everybody is just asking you petty questions, it drives people to the edge, or something really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jess-weixler/if-you-re-having-a-bad-day-already-and-everybody-is-just-asking-you/) [Jess Weixler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jess-weixler/) > [You never give away your heart; you lend it from time to time. If it were not so, how could we take it back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeanette-winterson/you-never-give-away-your-heart-you-lend-it-from-time-to-time-if-it/) [Jeanette Winterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeanette-winterson/) > [I'm not asking people to feel sorry for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-abramoff/i-m-not-asking-people-to-feel-sorry-for-me/) [Jack Abramoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-abramoff/) > [The boldness of asking deep questions may require unforeseen flexibility if we are to accept the answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-greene/the-boldness-of-asking-deep-questions-may-require-unforeseen/) [Brian Greene](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-greene/) > [Use Google Before Asking A Stupid Question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muskaan/use-google-before-asking-a-stupid-question/) [Muskaan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muskaan/) > [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/) [Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/) > [Love cannot be had for the asking; it comes only as a gift from the heart of another](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramahansa-yogananda/love-cannot-be-had-for-the-asking-it-comes-only-as-a-gift-from-the/) [Paramahansa Yogananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramahansa-yogananda/) > [The Baseball Hall of Fame is something every player dreams about, but being a member of God's Hall of Fame is the greatest achievement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-carter/the-baseball-hall-of-fame-is-something-every-player-dreams-about-but/) [Gary Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-carter/) > [“In such a regime, I say you died a good death if your life had inspired someone to come forward and shoot your murdered…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/in-such-a-regime-i-say-you-died-a-good-death-if-your-life-had/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [Like all writers, he measured the achievements of others by what they had accomplished, asking of them that they measure him by what he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/like-all-writers-he-measured-the-achievements-of-others-by-what-they/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) [Browse all 3,313 Asking quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/asking/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "There were people asking 'Can women be funny?' 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